Monster Hunter World 🏹 What’s The Best Weapon For You?

Hey what’s up guys it’s Deathstalker Synchro with another Monster Hunter video and today I’m going to help you figure out what weapon you can relate to the most! There are more batty and crazy weapons in Monster Hunter World than you can count on both hands. Four swords, 3 ranged weapons, 2 lances, a Glaive, a hammer, 2 transformers, and we can’t forget everyone’s favorite musical mallet. Fourteen to be exact. Despite what others tell you each one is very powerful in it’s own way. If you want to see a further breakdown of all the weapons keep an eye on the top right of the screen for links to video breakdowns and gameplay.

Though if any Monster Hunter veterans are watching please do drop any tips you have for your fellow hunters. I’m sure they’ll appreciate your insight into the weapons. But enough about that let’s get started with them! First up is the Sword and Shield or SnS. Considered by many as the most beginner friendly weapon don’t take this thing lighty. If I had to describe the Sword and Shield in one word it wouldn’t be easy or beginner. It’d be versatility. As the name implies the weapon sports both a small sword and shield. While not the best shield in the game when it comes to guarding it still proves to be a valuable asset.

Sword attacks are fast and relentless with great recovery. They do do lower damage per hit than many other melee weapons in the game but the speed more than makes up for it especially when trying to inflict damage with the elements or status effects. Oh! And that shield isn’t only for defence. When you want to get nice and disrespectful throw a couple shield bashes into your combos for some blunt damage. The Sword and Shield is a “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Great all across the board in attack speed, mobility, recovery, and utility thanks in addition to the ability to use the Slinger or items while unsheathed.

So pick up this clever pair if you prefer to have access to as many tools and forms of damage as possible. Second we have the Long Sword or LS. While not as fast as the Sword and Shield this weapon has greater reach and attacks of higher damage. Moderate in speed the Longsword’s attacks are a mix of wide sweeps and far reaching thrusts. This weapon doesn’t come with any form of guarding but you can easily roll out of your combos, use the Fade Slash to reposition, or even get really stylish and use the highly evasive Foresight Slash. Dealing damage with the Longsword builds the Spirit Gauge, a small bar found right below your Health and Stamina. You can then spend some of this gauge to use the stronger Spirit Attacks. For every time you hit with the last Spirit attack of the combo you’ll upgrade the Spirit Gauge.

Each time further increasing your overall attack damage and enabling you to use the most stylish of moves…The Helm Breaker. Looks can be decieving but the Longsword is an elagant, honest weapon. What you see is what you get. A long sword that in skilled hands will make short work of any monster as the fight progresses. Proper utilization of the Spirit Gauge and Spirit Attacks is key for maximizing your damage. But remember you’ll have to be quick with those rolls as guarding isn’t a option.

If you fancy you rself or aspire to be a skilled swordsmen then you’re going to love the Longsword. I honestly can’t help but feel the Samurai in this one. Third on our list of weapons is the biggest of swords the Greatsword or GS. Perhaps you were really liking the previous weapons but they were missing something. They just….weren’t enough sword for you. You can’t expect those puny things to satisfy you.

No. You need something big. Bigger! With enough destuctive power to leave no surviving man- or monster able to walk straight again. So I present to you the Greatsword. Without a doubt this weapon has the highest damage per strike in the game! This is a large and heavy weapon and as such it will be slow. At it’s core the Greatsword is a basic and easy weapon to use with a little patience. Single button inputs to string together a combo, a decent guard, and despite it’s size and weight you’re can roll when needed. But the true power shines in the charged attacks.

Holding down your standard attack button charges the blow but if you perfectly time the release with the flashing stages of your charge you’ll pull out even more damage. Use caution though, while charging you will be immobile and vulnerable so it does require careful timing and positioning but when a charged attack hits. It hurts. I don’t know whether the Great in this weapon’s name is for damage, size, or weight but if you’re looking for hitting things as hard as possible this is your weapon. Find the right time and placement for a charged attack and your victim won’t last a minute. Not a fan of the heavy weapons then you’re going to love the fourth one on our list.

The Dual Blades or DB. You want speed? Look. No. Further. The fastest weapon in the game. Damage per hit may be low but the onlsaught of attacks from the Dual Blades more than makes up for it. Combos with the Dual Blades look exactly as they are. A relentless flurry of slashes and cuts great for elementals. The lack of a guard shouldn’t concern you in the slightest as the Dual Blades have a strong dodge property allowing you to dance around the monster even while still attacking. And I haven’t even got to the best part. Demon Mode. As the name suggest this an alternative mode activated manually. Demon Mode grants you increased damage, makes you immune to knockback, and gives you access to more powerful moves like the Demon Dance. But this does come at a cost as Demon Mode can be taxing on the Stamina. Dealing damage in Demon Mode will in return build your Demon Guage.

Once filled you’ll enter Archdemon mode increasing your attack even more and giving you some more powerful moves even outside of Demon Mode. The Dual Blades are short in range and low in damage but aggressive, fast, and often times unstoppable. You’ll have to keep an eye on your stamina but the Demon and Archdemon Modes are powerful tools that shouldn’t be ignored. Any speed demon (pun not intended) will instantly fall in love with this weapon. Myself included. Nearly halfway through with number 5! The Insect Glaive or IG. While we’re still on weapons of high mobility we need to talk about this Insect Glaive. It’s a fast, agile attack with decent range. The damage output of of the attacks is nothing impressive but a deeper unstanding of the weapon will show you it’s true strength. Part of this is in it’s very well known capability in the air. Thanks in part to it’s Vault move the Insect Glaive can launch Hunters into the air where they’re free to dash and attack.

This also makes it quite easy to mount the monster. Without a doubt the cool aerial moves and mounting are useful both in solo and multiplayer hunts. But a skilled Glaive wielder will know the right time and place for these. That’s when the other half of Insect Glaive comes in. That large bug on the Hunter’s wrist is a Kinsect. A supportive and powerful addition to the Insect Glaive. Send this little thing in to attack the monster. Each successful attack will leave behind dust that’ll explode when hit by the Insect Glaive. The effect of the explosion varies by the Kinect and yes there are multiple types you can get.

When the Kinsect attaks it also gathers essence. Recalling the Kinsect will deliver the essence to the Glaive and bestow a temporary buff on the Hunter depending on color. A little bit of management is needed with the Insect Glaive as it’s strong on stamina consumption. The Kinsect itself also has stamina that has to be watched but don’t let that discourage you. Sweet aerials moves, a cute commandable insect companion, and constant mounts to annoy your friends with it’s hard not to love the Insect Glaive. Learn to use this weapon properly and you’ll look like the Lord of the Beast you’ve always dreamed of. Alright it’s time to move into the heavyweight class. Starting with the Hammer or HM. Ever took being called a savage or barbarian as a compliment.

Or perhaps when a monster roars at you, you roar back before knocking ’em into next week. That got your blood going? Then the Hammer is your kind of weapon! Don’t let the size of this blunt club fool you. Hammer wielding Hunters still retain mobility. The Hammer is an absolutely brutal weapon with high damage output and is perhaps the easiest weapon to knockdown a monster with.

Basic combos consist of bashing, pounding, smashing, crushing, and…well hammering the monsters face in. But a lot of power in the Hammer’s kit is behind charging your attacks for even more savage blows. There are 3 levels of charge and while the third can give you the most destructive power you should know the first two have their own powerful moves that should not be ignored. Speaking of not ignoring moves, don’t forget to perform a Power Charge. This quick move done while charging will increase your stun damage, give you more powerful moves, and make you uninerruptable during charging and swinging. Unlike the Greatsword you can move freely while charging the Hammer. In my opinion, the Hammer is one of the most satisfying weapon especially with the way it dominates monsters.

So if you like the idea of pounding in a dragon’s face. Definitely give this weapon a go. Not a Hammer kinda person? Okay. So maybe you consider yourself more of a lover of fine arts. Not blungeoning a monster like a savage barbarian. You have class! And there’s nothing more classy than the Hunting Horn or HH. Hunting Horn hunters bring the tunes to the battle, supporting all in their party with temporary buffs.

But should they be intterrupt during one of their performances, these lads will kindly play their next melody on the monster’s face. The Hunting Horn is probably the greatest victim of misuse. While described as a support weapon you should not mistakenly believe your job is to do one or the other. Every attack the Hunting Horn has doubles as a note added to their musical staff. Chain or combo these notes together and you create a melody. Created melodies are added to your queue, up to three melodies. Performing these melodies provides yourself or the entire squad with buffs. Now here’s where many newbie dancing tooters screw up at. Your performance of these melodies or buffs should not be done off at the sidelines. Your character isn’t swinging this thing around for nothing. Performances are attacks too. By all means rock out with your Horn out but remember “Face not is best note”.

You aren’t a cheerleader, you’re a Battle Bard. Play it smart though if you’re in danger during a performance crack out a roll because you can’t guard. The Hunting Horn is powerful but slow in attack speed and reliant on positioning and careful timing. You may now resume tooting. Even the most fearsome of Dragons should fear the Lance or LNC. A bulky weapon with an even bulkier shield. I said we were going into the heavy weight class and I was not joking. With the Lance unsheathed your incapable of rolling so your only form of defense is guarding with your shield. But the Lance’s guard is the strongest in the game capable of tanking even the most powerful of attacks. If you have even the slightest bit of doubt hunker down in the Lance’s Power guard and then retaliate with Counter Thrust. The best way to describe the playstyle of a Lancer is a impenetrable fortress that quickly turns into a aggressive harrasser and even rusher. On the offensive side the Lance sports an array of far reaching thrusts and counter attacks even from behind it’s guard.

Any monster will quickly realize it stands no chance vs the Lance but if they should try to flee the Dash Attack will quickly show them there’s also no escape. The Lance is a Bastion of Defense. An often impenetrable fortress. But never a coward. Guard when necessary but don’t let up in your attacks. If you’ve mained a tank class in another game or the thought of slaming a shield into the ground and being unfazed by the most brutal attacks brings a smile to your face then you know what to try first.

The Gunlance may look like just another Lance to the unexperienced but the deafening blast it produces will surely open their eyes. The Gunlance or GL is sometimes called the Funlance. And with good reason. Part Lance, part freaking tank. Much like the Lance the Gunlance comes along with a massive shield that will prevent you from rolling with it unsheathed. Instead of thrust and pokes, the Gunlance’s melee attacks consist of heavy high damaging slashes with the full weight of the weapon. But I didn’t call this thing part tank just for its defensive capabilites. Part of the Gunlance’s weapon is also a vicious cannon with multiple forms of firing.

The standard being a powerful shelling. How powerful? Well let’s just say it happens to be so powerful the blasts will go through the defenses of any monster. Then there’s the Wyvernstake, a piercing stake that explodes after some time dealing multiples hits of damage. And if you think for a moment that it couldn’t get any more insane there’s the Wyvernfire. A massive charged explosion sure to rearrange any monsters face for good. Keep in mind that the shelling and Wyvernstake require reloading while the Wyvernfire has a lengthy cooldown represented by the glowing red rail of the weapon. So yeah! Part Lance, part freaking tank. Superb damage and defense thanks to the guard but this comes at the cost of mobility. Though, with practice and proper management you’ll be a walking battlion. I don’t think I need to say anymore because if this is your weapon you’re probably already sold on it.

Okay now it’s time for the freaking Transformers. Starting with everyones favorite Charge Blade or CB. Often regarded as the most complex of all the weapons, the Charge Blade has a lot going for it. Put simply the Charge Blade has two forms. First is the Sword and shield, a quick and nasty mode sporting fast attacks and a shield for guarding. This mode has a great balance of attack power, defense, and mobility. But if you’re a madman you can slam that shield into the sword to turn it into an axe. In Axe form, you can expect to see greater damage and reach at the cost of speed and mobility. Here’s where things get…fun. Dealing damage with your sword stores energy into it. You can then dump this energy into phials within your weapon. The axe then uses these phials to blow out massive elemental damage via discharges. The complexity of the weapon comes from the learning the moveset, management of sword energy, and the phial system alongside the usual difficulties of a monster fight. Though it may not be regarded as the most beginner friendly weapon, learning the Charge Blade isn’t impossible.

Just know you will require some patience. Those typically interested in the Charge Blade don’t mind if their weapon is a bit more challenging in the beginning. The depth gives them joy and the true reward is in the mastery of this powerhouse. The second weapon of what I’ve stupidly proclaimed as transformers is known by many names. Mostly it’s called the Switch Axe or SA but it’s sometimes the Swax or SwagAx. Like my good man Kirby once said, on paper the Switch Axe and Charge Blade are identical. But in action if you told me they shared a similar kit I wouldn’t believe you. The Switch Axe also comes with two forms, Axe being the more standard form. In Axe form you’ll have the benefit of great reach and mobility.

But in Sword mode you’ll gain extra damage and the bonus offered from the Switch Axes phial. Unlike the Charge Blade the Sword mode’s phial charges automatically in Axe form should you deplete it. The Switch Axe’s phial isn’t just for a passive buff to Sword mode though. You can also fire off a Elemental Discharge causing a high damaging explosion. Or if you happen to trigger the Sword’s Phial Awakening state, you can go for a Zero Sum Discharge staking your target with the sword before letting off an even more massive and even more powerful explosion. You know that moment in a game where an attack is so powerful you have press the button harder and harder. Or perhaps when the taking down the final boss and the game prompts you to unrelentingly spam a button. That moment….Is the Switch Axe. Take caution with this monstrous weapon as it’s long combos can be exhausting on your Stamina and if you haven’t noticed it doesn’t come with a guard so rolling and evasion is your best defence.

We now can now break into the ranged weapons. Starting with the biggest and heftiest. The Heavy Bowgun or HBG. The Heavy Bowgun is less of a gun and more like your own personal artillery, sniper, or even machine gun. With the farthest range of any of the ranged weapons, this gun can fire a multitude of specialized rounds from elemental to shotgun like spreads or even cluster bombs. Each one is different in it’s own way and not just in damage or status but also critical or optimal range. The versatility doesn’t end there as you can also modify your Bowgun with attachments like a strong shield for blocking monster attacks. The Heavy Bowgun can also come equipped with one of two special ammo types.

The first is the Wyvernsnipe. This will all you to fire a single high piercing shot resulting in a series of explosion after a small delay. The second special ammo called the Wyvernheart modifies the Heavy Bowgun to fire like a fully automatic machine gun. Each of the two have their own pros and cons. For example, the Wyvernsnipe is a great fire and forget ability offering superb damage output on bigger monsters. While the Wyvernheart is a steady stream of controlled damage best used on a monster’s weaker spots where outshine even the Wyvernsnipe in damage numbers. Both of the two run on a cooldown but only the Wyvernsnipe requires a full recharge before firing again. Though, you can fire the Wyvernheart with a low charge you just won’t have the full ammunition supply for the machine gun fire. Fans of Rambo, lovers Michael Bay explosions, and just about any dude or dude-ette that loves big guns…This. Is for you. Remember your ammo is limited and it will be work maintaining your stock.

But that doesn’t matter so long as your get to dump a hundred rounds into a monsters face. Right? Second of the range weapons is the Light Bowgun or LBG. If you can’t guess this is the lighter version of the previous Heavy Bowgun. Choosing the Light Bowgun will reward you with greater mobility and faster rate of fire when compared to the Heavy Bowgun. But there is a cost as there should always be. When compared to the Heavy Bowgun the Light Bowgun carries less ammo and has more recoil from its shots. You’ll still see a nice spread of differing ammo types just like with the Heavy Bowgun but there will be some new ones here like the supportive healing or even defense buffing shots. Now this wouldn’t be a Bowgun if it didn’t have it’s own special ammo. The Light Bowgun can fire up to three Wyvernblasts. These planted charges can detonate several times resulting in explosions whenever an enemy steps within proximity. But you can also cause these explosions by firing over the Wyvernblasts. Sounds simple in definition but once you see the damage numbers fly you’ll realize how power it is.

The mobility when compared to the Heavy Bowgun is something you’ll feel immediately as you’re able to now sidestep and even slide after your shots. Like any ranged weapon be mindful of your optimal range so you’re not wasting your ammo and missing out on damage. One thing to keep in mind is that your crosshairs always turn orange when in optimal range. Just like the Bowgun, ammo is limited and you can upgrade the Light Bowgun via modifications.

If you’re a lover of the Heavy Bowgun but require greater mobility then the Light Bowgun is exactly what you’re looking for. But honestly it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to take up both the Heavy and Light Bowguns. After all, there’s no law saying you can’t have two guns. Last and certainly not least is my bae. The Bow! Lightest among the ranged weapons the Bow is best at mid-range with it’s quick rate of fire. With little to no weight you can take advantage of the Bow’s mobility to find and pick at any monster softer spots. Shots can be either charged or fired in rapid succession for higher damage output. The Bow even has an enhanced dodge called the Charging Sidestep.

Use it to both evade and power up your shots. Alternatively you can respond with wide spreadshots or even arc shots capable of raining barbs on your target. But when it comes to all out damage your charged Dragon Piercer will shred through any monster from head to tail. Fortunately for us Bow users arrows are unlimited in supply. We can even use consumable coatings on these arrows to give them unique propeties like inflicting sleep, poison, or paralyzing status effects. Be wary of your supply though as you are limited in your coatings and should you run out while in the field you’ll need to craft more via herbs scattered across the map. Just like the Bowguns, the Bow has optimal range that should be taken into consideration with its varying shots and coatings. This often leaves you closer to the monster than any other ranged weapon. If that doesn’t scare you away then you’ll make a fine archer.

Those certain to love the Bow have likely enjoyed using Bows in other games like Far Cry, Dragons Dogma, or Horizon Zero Dawn. If so then join me my brothers and sisters because this Bow is one of the best even when compared to those games. And that’s all 14 of Monster Hunter World’s weapons. There’s one for everyone no matter your playstyle. In fact, there’s likely more than one. Don’t worry. Think of Monster Hunter weapons like characters in a fighting game. Each one unique is even though it may share a characteristic with another. But there’s nothing wrong in playing with more than one weapon. The idea of a main should be nothing more than a favorite.

The Bow is my main and I swear by the lovely thing. But honestly I plan on playing with every weapon in Monster Hunter World. Just some more than others. Remember guys and girls there’s more than enough monsters for all of your weapons. If you like the video be sure to hit that thumbs up and subscribe for Monster Hunter content or check out my Mixer channel for Monster Hunter live streams. For any questions or tips, feel free to drop them down in the comments section below. Remember we’re all hunters here. Until next time I’ll catch you guys later!.